Hidden Memories
by Star Shadow and Dark Stratos
Summary: What if someone in the Crimson Squad wasn't who everyone thought. What if he was hiding something. What if he was more than what everyone thought. What if it was Gippal...
1. The Squad

Dark Stratos: *paces back and forth dressed like Brother* Okay troops! This is our first FFX-2 Fic! Let's make it count!

Star Shadow: *is dressed like Gippal* Can't we just have fun with it? I mean why does it need to count? *crouches down with her knees to her chest and plays with the eye patch*

Dark Stratos: *glares* It's for credibility…

Lonely Reaper: *is dressed as Shuyin* Can I be Bob?

Star Shadow: Bob?

Lonely Reaper: Yes, Bob.

Dark Stratos: Who's Bob?

Lonely Reaper: You know! Bob!

Star Shadow: I don't see why not, I mean, You're already dressed like him.

Lonely Reaper: Yay! I'm Bob!

Dark Stratos: But who's Bob!?

Disclaimer: We own a broken hair brush and Lonely Reaper's retainer. Thanks to her for agreeing to proof read out stuff!

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Hidden Memories

Star Shadow and Dark Stratos

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Prolog

I told them that I wanted to fight, that we all wanted to fight and protect Spira when they asked why they should even consider letting me in, and they did. When they let me in, they were disgusted with me, even my 'peers', but they didn't know. They didn't know that they were going to get me into places where they rejected me before. They didn't know I was using them, not even him…

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Chapter One

The Squad

I was sixteen when I entered selection for the Crimson Squad. I lied about my age, saying I was eighteen, but they never found me out. After all, Al Bhed birth and death certificates were not registered in their records. It wasn't proper. I looked eighteen and maybe older. I looked much older than some of the others who were joining, much to my relief.

I can remember that day still with extreme clarity, even the look of utter disgust I got from the man I was required to give my approved entrance form to. After taking it from me, he glared and spat. All I could do was ignore it as I followed my directions and went towards the temple where the squad candidates were to gather. I was only stopped once by the guards at the outer doors when I had arrived, but they still reluctantly let me in.

Once inside the temple, I was shocked at the lack of security Bevelle seemed to posses. After making sure I wasn't being watched, I managed to accomplish my true purpose at the there. I was sure I was going to be caught when I came up the lift, but the priests and guards only mumbled about needing to find repair technicians that weren't Al Bhed. I turned a deaf ear to them, pretending that I didn't understand their words, though most all of them stung horribly.

As the briefing for the cadets started, I pretended to 'fix' one of the lifts. I didn't need to be found out right off the back. As it turned out, we were going to make a march to Luca to ride by boat to Killika and Besaid on our way to Bikanel Island. It was almost as if they were trying to make things easy for me. Group assignments were to be given out upon arrival of the desert.

After tinkering with the lift for about five minutes after they had gone, I acted satisfied and left. When I opened the doors to the temple though, I was stopped by one of the priests. An odd mixture of calm and panic went through me as I looked at him. He knew, I could see it in his eyes.

"Young sir," he said, a spark in his eye, "Thank you for fixing our lift. Your actions are much appreciated." He smiled and handed me a brown cloth bag which I tied to my belt. This had to be the nicest Yevonite I'd ever met. When he bowed, he began to whisper, just loud enough for me to hear in my bewildered state. "Be safe on you pilgrimage."

I bowed back out of sheer politeness and wondered how he knew, but, of course, I had spoken aloud. What I got in response was far from expected. The faint whisper of a name and quietly mumbled words of memories from a time that had long since past. My mother's name. The name of the woman who died to protect me.

With that, he turned and left, and I moved from the temple. I was confused, and I wanted to know how he knew her. There was so much that I didn't know, and so much I felt that I didn't want to know. I think that I was afraid: Afraid of the answers.

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Star Shadow: That was confusing, huh?

Dark Stratos: Oh dear lord! *smacks his own face*

Star Shadow: If you can't tell who the narrator is… I don't know what to say to you.

Dark Stratos: Please Read and Review if you want another chapter, or you get none.

Lonely Reaper: *giggles* Bob…

Dark Stratos: *pounds head on desk* Why me? Why me!?


	2. The Plains

Star Shadow: I can't believe anyone liked this! Wow!

Dark Stratos: ::Ignores her while trying to figure out who the heck 'Bob' is:: I just don't get it.

Star Shadow: Are you okay Stratos?

Dark Stratos: ::continues to think:: I don't understand…

::insert squiggly line here::

Disclaimer: Us? Owning something? laughs hysterically YEAH RIGHT!!!

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Hidden Memories

Star Shadow and Dark Stratos

Chapter Two

The Plains

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The journey to Luca, I discovered, was part of the training and elimination for the Crimson Squad. You were being monitored constantly. Some people paired off to help one another. Not to my surprise, I was not one of those people wanted to pair up with.

I also wasn't surprised at the glared I received. At one point I was even shot at. Although I was told it was an accident, it was hard to believe. I still don't believe that excuse. The smug look of the man who shot at me and the snide apology didn't make me believe him anymore.

I smiled, pretending to accept this apology while making a mental note to stay as far away as humanly possible from that particular man. He was easy to spot. He was short and slightly overweight with red hair and beady eyes. He smelled too.

The trek through the Macalania Woods was uneventful and short. We, or rather I, didn't spend more than as hour walking through the surreal forest. Even to this day, it has to be one of the more beautiful places I've ever seen. The Thunder Plains however, were an abrupt and unwelcome change..

The trip through the plains was far from easy. The towers that were there to protect people passing thought the chaotic land were mere ruins. Many a man fell victim to the bolts raining from the heavens. I even ended up carrying one of the fallen to the travel agency in the middle of the plain. Because of this, I was nearly found out as too young to be a member, and it was not the last time.

When I staggered through the door of the shelter with that man over my shoulder I had no idea what I had just done. I yelled at the clerk behind the counter to help me. Although I knew this was an Al Bhed establishment I was still a bit shocked at the man who turned to me.

A lump formed in my throat when I realized who was looking at me. It was Rin. He was one of the people who had looked after and helped raise me. He served as one of the two father figures in my life.

I was surprised when he greeted me with his usual "Ah, hello Gippal," but shock was clearly etched into his features. He had a too calm reaction to my presence after that. He did do me the favor of taking the overweight man off my shoulder.

The mad was laid near the others who had been knocked out. Neither of us noticed when one of the observing men came in. Even as I try to remember when it happened now, I still draw a blank.

"So," I said, rolling my shoulder, "how are things going, Rin?" I felt like I had pins and knots in my shoulder and I reached up to message the tense muscles.

"I have been doing well," he said. "But what about you? Why are you not at home?"

"Well," I said, turning with my arms behind my head, eyes closed, " I'm trying out for the Crimson Squad." I smirked and looked over my shoulder at him. It was then I noticed the observer. It took most of my self-control not to let panic seep into my actions or my voice. After all, I already knew what Rin's next question would be.

"But aren't you too young?"

Originally I was going to tell him the truth, but with the observer there, that was impossible. I hate to lie, but this was one of the few cases I felt like I had a reason to. I can't stand lies. Maybe that's why I hate Yevon so much.

I turned and put a face on so that he could clearly understand that I was saying yes, but I couldn't let that other man know. "You know I just turned eighteen ," I said. I could tell he understood, especially when his eyes mirrored mine to look at the man behind me.

"Ah yes. I remember now. We had a party for you legalization last month," he said, playing along. "Hm?" he asked with fake surprise, looking at the other man as though he hadn't noticed him before. "Welcome to Rin's Travel Agency. How may I help you?"

"I'm just here to look for the casualties," he said in a gruff voice.

"I left them out so that they might be easily identified," Rin said, politely bowing as normal. I never understood why he did that, but I guess it was okay. I turned to leave, only to be stopped by the man I didn't know.

"You should stay in," he said as he checked out one of the unconscious men on a make-shift bed on the floor. "I'm to stop all candidates who check in here for the night as a precaution."

"Yes sir," I said as militaristically as possible. Although I was a bit nervous about the entire situation. This could give me a final talk with Rin. I just didn't know what I could say to him, or how to explain my reasons for doing this. He probably wouldn't have liked them anyway.

"I'll give you a room in the back," Rin said to me. "Some this way please."

When he said that, I knew he was going to want to talk about my decision. I sighed in defeat as I went with hem. This wasn't going to be pretty. Not at all.

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Star Shadow: Well, I updated!

Dark Stratos: Bob… Bob… Bob… X-x;;

Star Shadow: We'll update after I get Stratos out of the mental hospital… And when I get some more reviews!! Peace!!


	3. The Talk

**PLEASE REVIEW EVERY CHAPTER!** Thank you.

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Star Shadow: Sorry for the slow update!

Dark Stratos: We… Er… Lost this chapter.

Star Shadow: It's not the first time it's happened!

Dark Stratos: No kidding… In the time it took us to find this chapter I figured out who Bob was. ::glares at Star::

Star Shadow: Heh heh…

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Disclaimer: If we owned FFX-2 Star would have made it so there would have been some really er… interesting… things going on between Gippal and Baralai. This is how you can tell that we don't own it…

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Hidden Memories

Star Shadow and Dark Stratos

Chapter Three

The Talk

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The room was sparsely decorated with a desk, dresser and a bed. There were some pictures on the walls too, but they weren't the pictures I had expected. They were pictures of Home and some of our Al Bhed friends, mostly male. There was one picture of a woman, only one. She wasn't Al Bhed either. She was short with brown hair and dark blue eyes. I knew her image well. Cid had this same picture on the mantle in his room.

I looked at the picture and smiled, touching her face gently, ignoring Rin purposely. I didn't want to see the look on his face. I didn't want to answer his questions. I didn't want to face his accusations like I had to do with Cid. I wanted to leave.

An odd feeling came over me when he spoke. "I have heard that you have become a summoner."

"Yes," I said, never taking my eyes from the picture. I knew I wouldn't be able to look him in the eye. I would only feel like a small child in trouble for breaking his mother's favorite vase.

"Your mother would be proud," he said quietly. The uncomfortable silence that I had been waiting for finally crept into the room. This was the second time that someone had mentioned her today. "Why did you join the Squad it--"

"They wouldn't let me into the temples," I said, cutting him off. It was easy to figure out what his questions were going to be. "They said that the Al Bhed weren't allowed inside."

"I see," Rin said. Again, I didn't look at him and another uneasy silence settled over the room. Rin moved, coming closer. I could hear him right behind me, and I closed my eyes as tight as possible. 'Are you sure about your decision?"

"Yes," I said, putting the picture back on the desk where I had found it. I turned and saw him behind me. Right then, he looked so old and sad. Worry was apparent on his face. I had never seen him look so tired.

He hugged me then. He hugged me as tight as he could. This was one of the people who had raised me, like the father I had never had. It was always him and Cid. My two Dads.

My real father was dead when I was born and when my mother died they took care of me to the best of their ability. They always told me how much I was like my mother. I never doubted them.

I hugged him back. I was suddenly scared. I was scared of my decision, my future, and scared of never seeing those that I cared about ever again.

Somewhere in that time, I had begun to cry and rubbed my back just like always. I never wanted to let go, but after a few minutes he let go and wiped my eyes. He told me to get some rest and I nodded.

When I laid down of the bed, sleep claimed me almost instantly. It was when I awoke the next morning that I found out that he had left in the night so that I wouldn't be able to tell him goodbye.

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Star Shadow: Well, that's all for now.

Dark Stratos: Please Review. We're review whores.

Star Shadow: As much as I hate to admit it, he's right…

Dark Stratos: Read and Review!!


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